"Such talk is useless," she said shortly. "You have brought upon
yourself the just hatred of these people. Regardless of the truth
or falsity of the report which has been brought to them, they
believe in it and there is nothing now between you and your Maker
other than flight. We shall both be dead before morning if we are
unable to escape from the village unseen. If you go to them now
with your silly protestations of authority you will be dead a little
sooner, that is all."
"You think it is as bad as that?" he said, a noticeable alteration
in his tone and manner.
"It is precisely as I have told you," she replied. "They will come
tonight and kill you while you sleep. Find me pistols and a rifle
and ammunition and we will pretend that we go into the jungle to
hunt. That you have done often. Perhaps it will arouse suspicion
that I accompany you but that we must chance. And be sure my dear
Herr Lieutenant to bluster and curse and abuse your servants unless
they note a change in your manner and realizing your fear know
that you suspect their intention. If all goes well then we can go
out into the jungle to hunt and we need not return.
"But first and now you must swear never to harm me, or otherwise
it would be better that I called the chief and turned you over to
him and then put a bullet into my own head, for unless you swear
as I have asked I were no better alone in the jungle with you than
here at the mercies of these degraded blacks.
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